Making the commitment can be done in the form of the popular 30 day challenge and the consistency is about making the challenge achievable — a stretch but an achievable stretch. For example, you may want to read more, but committing to reading a book a week may not fit your current lifestyle or reading speed, however, a chapter a day may be a doable stretch.

It may sound daunting at first but look at the amount of successful 30 day challenges people start these days;

Ocsober for example, where for the month of October people stop drinking alcohol. And the similar challenge in January – Dry Jan.

There are plenty of 30 day fitness challenges – for abs, the plank, squats. All sorts.

Sometimes to raise money for a charity but more often to give people a format to follow and maybe a community of others doing the same.

To get the consistency, I think you have to make it something that connects with you. Something that, when you make the change, you will notice the difference and it will show you that you can be successful.

Listening to clients, I hear a long list of things that they want to change and I get that. But when we focus on the many, little happens. It can become overwhelming and less easy to apply.

So choose one thing and get really clear on your reason for choosing it.

What difference would you like it to bring?

My reason for doing this is _____________________________________

Keep asking yourself the question until you become really clear.

And I would suggest sharing it with at least one person, someone who you know will support you, even if they are not doing it with you.

For me now, many of the 30 day challenges I take are about either;

removing something from my life to see what happens when I do not have it there. Then after the 30 days I can reflect about whether or not I want to put it back

or to add something new in to see what the impact is on my life and whether, after 30 days, it is something that I want to continue to practise.

Here are just a few of the challenges that I have taken over the years:

No TV – how much time do we waste watching TV a week – It’s roughly 20-30 hours (and I am including the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime in that too.) That’s a day a week. How else could you spend that time? What would having that extra time give you?

No social media – It’s become quite a big thing to have a social media detox and switch off from yet more distractions. How does social media impact your life? What do you think you could gain without it?

Walk everyday – It may be to work or with the dog, but the benefits of getting out, moving your body and breathing fresh air (depending on where you live) are huge. It can reduce stress and anxiety, help with fitness, reduce blood pressure and so much more. 15 – 30 mins a day is all it needs. Could you do with less stress in your life?

Cut out a particular food stuff – Coffee, tea, alcohol, bread, cheese, chocolate, crisps, meat, refined sugar. What I find fascinating with food stuff or with the sober challenge, is that when I share the concept with people just how many reply ‘I need to do that’. We know what we are having too much of, are dependant on or using as a crutch. I get curious, and maybe you will too, as to what life would be like without that crutch and what others choices I might have. This is the 30 day challenge that I am currently on – A NO bread challenge. My body has not been liking bread recently so it is encouraging me to think about my lunches differently. Once I get to 14 days into this challenge, I’ll share my experiences on this blog.

Read for 15 mins/a chapter a day – whether it be for pleasure or work.

No complaining – I do wonder what our world would be like without complaining. What would we talk about instead?

Write a food or money diary – keeping track each day of what you have eaten of spent. Not because you have to change anything, just writing it down or using a app to track it each day and see what you notice.

Go to bed or get up earlier – this is a hot topic in many a coaching conversation — many people are not getting enough sleep so how can that be achieved in order to feel the great benefits? Again health wise the list of what a great night’s sleep can give us is HUGE!

Daily meditation – It’s great that Mindfulness has become so main stream. When I first started meditating about 20 years ago it was not something that was spoken about. Now with the popularity of yoga and pilates, more and more people are discovering the benefits (and challenges) that meditation brings. And again the list of benefits to the body and mind are bountiful. There are also hundreds of apps that you can use to help you learn the process and find a system that works for you. What do you 💭 think that 5 minutes of daily meditation could give you?

Phone a friend/family member each day – texting does not count! Connection is a big need for humans and social media can create the illusion of connection, but meeting face-to-face or via a phone call is far more powerful. With lives being as busy as they are we can often forget to take the time to connect with those that we love, that light us up because we believe that they will always be there and that ‘they understand’. And maybe they do. But there is a brutal fact that they will NOT always be there. So why not give them a call. It doesn’t have to be a deep and meaningful conversation, nor take hours. Just a simple – ‘hi… thinking of you’ type of call. I truly do wonder how you will feel after 30 days of connecting with those you love?

Let me know what you discover with any of the challenges that you do, whether you choose one from the above list or a different one. I’d love to hear in the comments section below what your experience is like.

Remember only choose one! Focus on one challenge, the one you are most drawn to. Be clear on your reason for taking the challenge and commit to it. It’s only 30 days after all and you can always go back to your old ways after if you really want to.

In all honesty, every time I have taken a 30 day challenge (which is most months 😊) I have noticed a difference. Even if I have gone back to my old ways, something has changed. I have gone from an overeating, alcohol-consuming, non-exercising victim of life, to someone who has a healthier relationship with food, rarely drinks (having not had an alcoholic drink for 3 months as of posting this) and I have a short exercise routine that I practise everyday…EVERYDAY! Me!? Exercise!?

I share this with you not to impress you, but to impress upon you what is possible for you too, when you make that commitment and become consistent.